Popcorn is often mass-produced for sale at movies and other events in commercial popcorn poppers which generally include an enclosed, transparent cabinet containing a tillable kettle suspended above a catch area or platform. The kettle is heated and uncooked popcorn kernels are placed therein to be cooked and popped. Oil, salt and other flavorings might also be added to the kettle for flavoring the popcorn in the popping process. Once the kernels are popped, the kettle is tilted, either manually or automatically, and the popcorn spills onto the platform to be scooped up, packaged and sold to customers. More recently, and especially as home movie theaters have gained in popularity, popcorn poppers have begun to move into the residential market for residential consumption as well. In the residential market, the residential popcorn poppers are often used to make smaller batches of popcorn.
However, in the commercial or residential setting a popcorn popper is often left unattended. For example, a user may make loads of popcorn then, when finished, simply leave the popcorn popper. As such, the heating element of the popcorn popper may continue to be powered and give off heat. This may result in remainders of previous loads (e.g., crumbs and/or other residual content of previously popped loads of popcorn) becoming charred and producing smoke. Moreover, over time this may result in a buildup of material on the kettle that imparts an unappetizing flavor to subsequent loads of popcorn. Thus, it may be desirable to reduce the likelihood of smoke being produced and the buildup of material.